﻿(Note: Wherever the word “you” or “your” is singular and refers to one human being, it is printed with an italic y, as in: you. Wherever such a word refers to God, the letter y is printed in capital, as in: You.)

For Fast 15

Topic: (K) Knowledge

Acquisition of knowledge stressed:

“Read in the name of your Lord Who creates — creates man from a clot (of blood)— read and your Lord is most Generous, Who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know.”— 96:1-5

The Arabs were a people who rarely made use of reading and writing, and the Prophet himself did not know reading or writing, yet the very first revelation which he received was a command to read. The significance of this order is expressed in v. 3: “read and your Lord is most Generous”. The order to read is repeated in v. 3, adding that your Lord is most Generous, to show that it is through reading and writing that man can attain to a position of glory. V. 4 says that it is by the use of the pen that knowledge can be acquired, and man can learn what he did not previously know.

“My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” — 20:114

This is a prayer taught in the Quran.

Knowledge exalts those who possess it:

“Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge, to high ranks.”— 58:11

“Are those who know and those who do not know alike? Only those who have understanding are mindful.”— 39:9

Acting without proper knowledge is condemned:

“But if any news of security or fear comes to them, they spread it about. And if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them, those of them who can search out knowledge of it would have known it.”— 4:83

“And do not follow that of which you have no knowledge.”— 17:36

If this injunction were followed, all society gossip would immediately cease, relieving many innocent people of the heart-burning which they suffer on account of evil and unfounded reports. The verse also forbids entering into discussions without accurate knowledge, or putting forward uncertain opinion (or indeed forwarding chain e-mails that you receive whose origin is unknown and whose content you can’t verify).

“And some people dispute about Allah without knowledge or guidance or a Book giving light.”— 31:20

“And surely many people lead others astray by their low desires through ignorance.” — 6:119

“They are losers indeed who kill their children foolishly without knowledge, and forbid what Allah has provided for them, forging a lie against Allah. They indeed go astray, and are not guided.”— 6:140

Faith acquired through knowledge:

“So for the wrongdoing of the Jews, We forbade them the good things which had been made lawful for them, … But the firm in knowledge among them and the believers believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you, and those who keep up prayer and give the due charity and the believers in Allah and the Last Day — these it is to whom We shall give a mighty reward.”— 4:160, 162

An outline Jewish history starts at verse 153 of ch. 4, ending at verse 162.

The last verse foretells that the firm in knowledge among the Jews will, by means of their knowledge, come to accept the teachings of Islam.

“And those who have been given knowledge see that what is revealed to you from your Lord, is the Truth and it guides into the path of the Mighty, the Praised.” — 34:6

It is through knowledge that people realize that the revelation sent in the Quran is the truth.

“And you (Prophet) did not recite before it any book, nor did you transcribe one with your right hand, for then could the liars have doubted. Rather, it is clear messages in the hearts of those who are granted knowledge. And none deny Our messages except the wrongdoers.”— 29:48-49

The Quran contains not only truths which are met with in previous scriptures, but also others which are not to be found in any scripture, and which are only in the hearts of those possessing knowledge, or those that may ever be conceived by them.